


Getting Rid of the Mark (And the Domino Effect Afterwards)

by Kimium



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: A bit of Magic, Alternate Universe - No Despair, Differentiating Soulmate Marks, Drinking alcohol mention, Established Relationship, F/M, Getting Together, Getting rid of soulmate marks, Hinted Koizumi/Saionji, Kisses, Mentioned Owari/Nekomaru, Mentioned Twogami/Tsumiki/Mitarai OT3, Mild Angst, Mild POV shift, Modern AU, Multi, Pining, Soulmate AU, University Student! Souda, alcohol mention, mild misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-23
Packaged: 2021-03-27 18:47:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 16,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30127233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimium/pseuds/Kimium
Summary: Modern AU. No Despair AU. Soulmate AU.“I’d—” Kazuichi’s voice stumbled for a moment before it found momentum, “I’d like to have this removed.” With a harsh tug he removed the sweatband, awkwardly turning his wrist over.The man glanced at Kazuichi’s wrist, at the dark timer on his wrist. Kazuichi followed the man’s gaze, staring at the ever-ticking numbers that had graced his wrist since his first day of his first year of high school. Squirming a little under the gaze Kazuichi waited for the usual comment he received, how lucky he was that he had already met his soulmate. A beat passed; the man looked up.“Do you want this removed and exchanged for a different indicator or removed permanently?”His cool, professional tone remained and the hot relief that hit Kazuichi was dizzying. His mind spun for a second, unable to form an answer, but Kazuichi pushed through the high of his relief.“Removed. Completely. Please.”Kazuichi is sick of looking at his (useless) soulmate indicator (it would have never worked out anyways) and decides to get it removed once and for all. (He just didn't expect a Domino Effect to occur.)
Relationships: Hinata Hajime/Komaeda Nagito, Sonia Nevermind/Soda Kazuichi/Tanaka Gundham, Sonia Nevermind/Tanaka Gundham
Comments: 20
Kudos: 40





	1. Strike a Red Line

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!!!
> 
> I kept saying I'd write a fic in Kazuichi's POV and I finally did it!!! I'm once again doing a soulmate AU but this is a very different one from my other works. I'm having a lot of fun with this AU and I hope you all do too. This chapter is a bit short but that's because I'm not used to writing as Kazuichi so exclusively so I didn't want to overstep my boundaries. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this first chapter! 
> 
> As always please feel free to leave me kudos and or comments as those always make my day! Also if you want to check out my tumblr the link is right [HERE](http://www.kimium.tumblr.com).

The shop sat on the corner of the street, just on the outskirts of the commercial area, bordering the beginnings of the business areas. Nestled and tucked away like some sort of hidden treasure, the shop was sandwiched between another short squat shop made entirely of aged brick and a tall sleek building made entirely of glass. The shop in question’s exterior was made entirely of aged wood. Kazuichi was certain that at one point the wood had been dark but years of being exposed to the sun and other elements had worn the wood down to a light brown. A bit of the pieces appeared to be on the verge of collapse but somehow remained in place. The entrance’s door, also made of wood, was worn too, though the knob was sparkling and polished. Glancing upward Kazuichi noted the sign hanging above the entrance. Unlike the rest of the exterior (except the doorknob) the sign was vibrant and clean. Also made of wood the sign was painted a tasteful dark red with thick golden lettering spelling out “Four Leaf Clover”.

Swallowing Kazuichi tightened his grip on his bag, feeling the worn leather, the heat of the sun soaked into it. The heat nearly burned his hand but it also grounded Kazuichi’s slowly but steadily climbing heartbeat. A thick pulse beat behind his ears and the sound nearly pushed Kazuichi to turn around and hop back on the bus that took him to the shop in the first place. If he left now Kazuichi could make it to his afternoon classes. He could enter the cool lecture hall in the university and nothing would appear out of the ordinary. His day would go on, mundane in its usual routine.

Tempting. Kazuichi spared a quick glance over his shoulder, as if he wanted to check if the bus was arriving on the other side of the street. Nothing. No cars. No vehicles. Not even a stray pedestrian walking or wondering what he was doing, standing stock still in front of the shop. Then again, Kazuichi held back a broken chuckle, perhaps the sight of someone frozen in front of this particular sort of shop was common. Maybe they witnessed the sight so often they had become desensitized to it. If Kazuichi worked in this area or frequently visited would he like those people?

Kazuichi bit his lip, shoved the worries aside, and turned back to the shop. No one said that just because he walked into the shop that he was making a purchase. A small lump formed in his stomach and a small voice in the back of his mind told him he was lying. After all, he had not just skipped his classes, he had made his way purposefully to the shop. Kazuichi very well could have just hidden at home, under his covers, safe and secure in his little bubble. A little too late for him to be chickening out now.

With a deep breath Kazuichi reached out and pushed the door open gently. It smoothly swung inside, the worn entrance of the shop showing under the track of the door’s arch. Idly Kazuichi wondered if a slight adjustment to the door’s frame would help and stop the door scraping the flooring. A bell on top rang softly, announcing Kazuichi’s entrance.

Stepping inside, Kazuichi inhaled and immediately took in the musky smell of sandalwood and cedar. A soft whisp of smoke waffled in the air, dancing in the sunlight that spilled in from above. Looking up, Kazuichi noticed how the top floor of the shop was a loft with sparkling clean windows. In the sunlight dust particles danced downward, invisible to the floor. Just like the exterior the interior was made of wood, only this wood was immaculately taken care of. Kazuichi’s eyes danced along the rich grain of the wood, noticing hints of red mixed with the brown. Lazy stairs dominated the left side of the shop and sprawled on the ground floor were shelves. Tall and short there were numerous ones in sight, all holding various of objects from books to incense to charms. The only nonwooden part of the shop were the windows and the tasteful blinds drawn up at the top of the windows. A soft silence filled the space and the rest of the world beyond the entrance faded away, creating a pocket of separate space within the shop.

“Hello, how may I help you?”

Kazuichi turned. Standing at the counter was a man around his age. His hair was short and brown and his clothing mundane but practical. The only noticeable thing about him were his eyes. Kazuichi did his best to not stare but heterochromia was rare in humans and the combination of red and hazel was dazzling.

“Sir?”

“Ah, sorry,” Kazuichi’s voice fumbled. “I, um, I was just passing by—”

“Passing by, huh?” The man raised an eyebrow before he leaned slightly against the counter, as if he needed a better angle to observe Kazuichi. “Rarely do people simply pass by our shop.”

Great. His (terrible) lie was called out. Kazuichi’s cheeks heated up. The man took one more look at him before he leaned back with a soft, easy smile.

“Sorry. I don’t mean to pressure you. Take your time and look around. If you need any assistance don’t hesitate to ask me.”

It would have been so easy to take the out the man had so graciously extended to him. Kazuichi could pretend to browse the merchandise and then excuse himself awkwardly from the shop. But… Kazuichi reached for his bag’s strap and gripped it in his hands once more. He wasn’t chickening out. He had come here for a reason and one reason only. Forcing his fingers to move off his bag’s strap, Kazuichi tugged at the blue sweatband on his right wrist, fidgeting with it but not fully removing it. The man’s gaze drew downward to the band and then back to Kazuichi’s face. It was cool, professional, no trace judgement. Somehow, it grounded Kazuichi. He took a step forward until he was walking up the counter, only the wood between him and the man.

“I’d—” Kazuichi’s voice stumbled for a moment before it found momentum, “I’d like to have this removed.” With a harsh tug he removed the sweatband, awkwardly turning his wrist over.

The man glanced at Kazuichi’s wrist, at the dark timer on his wrist. Kazuichi followed the man’s gaze, staring at the ever-ticking numbers that had graced his wrist since his first day of his first year of high school. Squirming a little under the gaze Kazuichi waited for the usual comment he received, how lucky he was that he had already met his soulmate. A beat passed; the man looked up.

“Do you want this removed and exchanged for a different indicator or removed permanently?”

His cool, professional tone remained and the hot relief that hit Kazuichi was dizzying. His mind spun for a second, unable to form an answer, but Kazuichi pushed through the high of his relief.

“Removed. Completely. Please.”

“I see. Just to make it clear you are aware with this kind of mark we cannot permanently remove the mark, right? If we tried to simply remove it another timer may pop up and you’d have to come back for the work redone. What we do is instead of fully removing the mark we replace it with the same mark someone has if their soulmate has passed. Is that all right with you?”

Having a permanent red line through his timer and his timer once again reading 00:00 wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Besides… Kazuichi’s stomach lurched as he took in the numbers on his wrist. Anything was better than those. Kazuichi stiffly nodded.

“It’s fine. I don’t mind.”

“All right,” the man dug into a drawer behind the counter, “we’ll start the paperwork.”

“Ok. Yeah, sure.”

Kazuichi watched as the man put several pieces of paper on the counter. Then, he punched a few things into the cash register before turning his attention back to Kazuichi.

“Let’s go over this paperwork,” the man said as he also reached for a pen. “Oh, I’m Hinata Hajime.”

“Souda Kazuichi.”

Hinata offered a smile before he pointed the pen at the paperwork, explaining it to Kazuichi. The majority of the paperwork was the usual legal stuff, such as the shop not being liable if anything happened after Kazuichi left it. But the paperwork also covered the before and after part of the procedure. Hinata even handed Kazuichi an aftercare guide, which he carefully tucked into his bag once Hinata finished going over it. Then the pen found its way into Kazuichi’s hand and with a flourish of his signature, Kazuichi completed the pre-process to getting his soulmate mark taken away. A small jitter of something welled inside of him briefly at this revelation but Kazuichi smothered it down quickly and focused on Hinata gesturing for him to follow to a room off the side of the shop. It half reminded Kazuichi of the rooms he had gone into to get piercings done at tattoo and piercing parlours.

In contrast to the entire shop the inside the room was also similar to getting a piercing done. Of course, the walls and floor were still wooden but the rest of it smelled sterile. Kazuichi’s gaze slid to the bench where he could sit or lie down if desired. In the corner was a small counter with a sink and a few drawers. A small incense burner sat by the sink and Hinata gently moved it aside as he rummaged around through the drawers. The place was also spotless with everything in order.

“Please, take a seat,” Hinata said. “I’m just going to prep the incense and wash my hands.”

“Right,” Kazuichi muttered as he gingerly sat on the bench, the cushions under him pleasantly comfortable. “Incense?”

“This procedure is part ritual and part magic with a small sprinkling of modern medicine,” Hinata replied as he pulled out some rubbing alcohol and non-latex gloves. “Burning incense is ritualistic and needed to help coax the magic to do what we want it to do. Speaking of that, it doesn’t matter what kind of incense I burn. Do you have a preference?”

“What do you have?”

“Mint, sage, lavender, and a bit of sweetgrass,” Hinata promptly replied.

“Sound like a disaster for people who are sensitive to smells.”

Hinata laughed. “There are some brands that magically burn to give the impression of a ritual. Magic doesn’t always know the difference. I have some of that to burn if you want it.”

“No, I’m fine. I think I’ll go with the lavender.”

“Good choice,” Hinata smiled and dug the dried petals out.

Kazuichi smiled back and watched as Hinata carefully prepped the incense burner before moving to half shut the door, leaving it ever so slightly ajar. Probably to help the incense smoke not overwhelm the small room too quickly. Then, he washed his hands and snapped the gloves on. It was only then that Kazuichi’s heart jolted and the lull of anxiousness tried to rear its head one final time. Kazuichi firmly and steadily squashed it. He had made his choice long ago and it was ridiculous for anxiety to reappear now.

Hinata fully turned around and carefully walked over to Kazuichi, sitting on a small stool he hadn’t noticed before by the side of the counter. The smell of lavender started to waffle in the air and the floral, soothing smell instantly hit Kazuichi, helping his body relax a fraction. Wheeling the stool closer, Hinata extended his hand out.

“Your wrist, please?”

Swallowing Kazuichi extended his right wrist. Hinata very carefully held it with one hand while his other hand hovered over the mark. A bit of warm light started to gather all around his hand before concentrating to the tip of his finger.

“This may sting a little bit. Some people tell me it’s akin to sandpaper lightly rubbing over your skin. Others tell me it’s like a rash spreading. Redness of the skin or a bit of blood aren’t uncommon. At any point in time if you feel discomfort and need a break please let me know.”

“Got it.”

Hinata lowered his finger and chanted something that Kazuichi didn’t recognise or understand. The light grew a little brighter before it pressed on Kazuichi’s skin. For a moment he felt nothing. Then, the slight discomfort, exactly as Hinata described it started. No pain jumped up Kazuichi’s spine nor did the reflex to jolt run through Kazuichi. Just slight discomfort that hovered over the edge of his mind, never quite touching down properly. A slight desire to squirm wormed its way into Kazuichi’s body but Kazuichi focused his gaze on Hinata’s hand. It was carefully moving over the timer slowly but steadily. In his finger’s wake a deep red line started to show. Soon Hinata finished the line, his other hand falling to his side. He however, didn’t let go of Kazuichi’s wrist. Instead, he shifted his position a little and raised his hand again. Another light formed on his hand, this time a soft blue one that remained on his entire hand, buzzing softly. Carefully Hinata waved his hand over the line a few times, humming some sort of tune before finishing off with a chant. The buzzing of magic faded and a second later Hinata dropped his hand once more. Kazuichi’s wrist ached and the skin was a bit red with irritation.

“How does it feel?”

“Tingly. A little sore.”

“I’ll cast something for that,” Hinata immediately said and without waiting for a response he waved his hand over Kazuichi’s wrist. A wave of cooling magic washed over him.

Kazuichi blinked and turned his wrist over, Hinata allowing his grip to fall. “You’re really adapt with magic.”

“Just because of practice,” Hinata humbly replied.

“Nonsense, you have some innate talent,” Kazuichi stared at his wrist. The red irritation had faded. “I’ve never seen someone so casual with their use of magic.”

“Really?” Hinata rubbed his head before he stood up. “That’s very kind of you. Here, let’s settle your bill and then review the aftercare guide before you leave today.”

“Okay.”

Kazuichi stood up and adjusted his bag. His arm protested ever so slightly at the motion. The soreness not entirely rubbed away with Hinata’s magic. Hiding a grimace, Kazuichi followed Hinata out of the lavender scented room and back to the shop. The fresh air of the shop washed over him and Kazuichi closed his eyes briefly before noticing Hinata walking back to the till. At the counter was another man that Kazuichi hadn’t noticed earlier. With a first glance there wasn’t anything too remarkable with the man besides the startling white of his fluffy hair. However, at a longer glance Kazuichi noticed that his left arm was metal from the forearm down. His mouth dropped as he took in the prosthetic. It was sleek and smooth, the metal a mix of black, white, and chrome. Underneath each joint of the fingers a smooth blue light shone with magic. Kazuichi’s fingers twitched with excitement.

“Oh wow,” Kazuichi hurried over and stared at the man’s arm shamelessly, the counter pressing against his stomach as he leaned over. “The work that goes into normal prosthetics is already so complex but with magic added? How does that work? Are the parts themselves imbued with magic or is there a core of magic in the prosthetic itself?”

The moment the words left his mouth Kazuichi’s face burned and he jumped back. The man’s mouth was twitched up in a smile. With ease he angled his arm closer.

“I’m not used to that sort of reaction to my arm. I’m not sure I can answer all your questions but by all means, take a look.”

Kazuichi swallowed. “Are you sure? You’re not upset?”

“Of course, I'm not upset. Why would I be? You didn’t mean anything malicious.”

“Thanks,” Kazuichi’s heart warmed. “May I touch it?”

“Go ahead.”

With careful fingers Kazuichi ran his hand over the top of the arm, feeling the subtle grooves of metal and gears. To his surprise the arm was slightly warm. Not as warm as a biological arm but not ice cold. Must have something to do with the magic. Kazuichi eyed the hand and the clean joints in the wrist and fingers.

“To answer you questions from earlier,” the man calmly said, “magic runs on both a core and my own magic. If I were to make an equivalent comparison it’s like a hybrid car.”

“Oh!” Kazuichi breathed out. “I’ve heard of those. The core is a source but it can be recharged through your own magic or even magic circles.”

“Ah, not quite at the magic circle model. I’m afraid those models are expensive,” the man corrected Kazuichi. “Mine can recharge with good old electricity.”

Electricity? That was a little less cutting edge but still impressive none the less. Plus, Kazuichi had seen the cost of magic circle charging technology and he couldn’t disagree with the verdict on how expensive it was. Discreetly Kazuichi tried to eye a port for a cord but couldn’t find one. Perhaps it was hidden. He tilted his head before shaking the thought away. While he could easily examine the man’s arm for hours that wasn’t what he was there for. Straightening up Kazuichi took a step back and attempted to politely look the man in the eyes only to reel back yet again.

Kazuichi had to admit, noticing the colour of people’s eyes was difficult. However, in this man’s case (and in conjunction Hinata) it would be considered a feat to not notice the colour. Yet another mismatched pair of eyes met Kazuichi’s, one eye the same red as Hinata’s. Kazuichi’s throat tightened. He was Hinata’s soulmate. How embarrassing to not just accost Hinata’s co-worker but also his soulmate. Shifting his gaze to Hinata Kazuichi noticed that Hinata was at the till, smiling at their interactions, polite patience radiating.

“Sorry,” Kazuichi muttered and shuffled over to the till. “I’ve been fascinated with mechanics and machines since I was a child. It’s what I’m studying right now.”

“That’s fine. Don’t apologise for being passionate,” Hinata replied with a casual tone. “Nagito doesn’t mind so it’s fine.”

“That’s right! Oh, sorry. I never introduced myself. I’m Komaeda Nagito,” Komaeda called from his side of the counter.

“Souda Kazuichi.”

Komaeda nodded, “Right. Nice to meet you.”

Kazuichi returned the gesture before turning to Hinata. He couldn’t keep the man waiting. Digging into his bag he pulled out his wallet and paid the amount owed. Hinata gave him a receipt and then talked over the aftercare guide. Most of the points were reminiscent of tattoo aftercare, though one of the points centered around Kazuichi not using magic for twenty-four hours.

“If you do it may mess up the flow of the procedure and undo the work.”

“Okay.”

Then, it was over. Kazuichi thanked Hinata one last time before he left the shop, Komaeda waving at him pleasantly. Kazuichi returned the wave before he stepped out into the warm outside air. With a determined sense of purpose Kazuichi immediately made his way to the bus stop, checking on his phone for when the next bus would arrive, which was within minutes.

It was only when the bus arrived and Kazuichi sat down that his brain processed everything. A heavy weight descended upon him for a fraction of a second as Kazuichi stared at the vivid red line across his timer. His now dead, forever non-functional timer. Something threatened to well up inside of Kazuichi, something cold and fluid, like a wave threatening to crash upon the shore. Kazuichi’s vision blurred ever so slightly before it returned to normal. A dull but warm feeling of content soon took over, pushing the wave back, packaging and bottling it, smothering it like one would do to a flame to get it to stop burning. Leaning against the window of the bus, Kazuichi dug into his bag and put the sweatband back on. The tightness of the fabric made his skin itch slightly.

The ride home was silent.

When Kazuichi returned to his apartment he dug around his bedroom before finding a wide leather bracelet. Taking off the constricting sweatband, Kazuichi tossed it onto his desk before testing the leather bracelet. It was wide enough to cover the mark and more importantly it didn’t cling as much as the sweatband. Adjusting the strings at the ends to tighten it to his wrist took a second. Kazuichi took a moment to admire the look of the dark leather on his wrist before he flopped onto his bed, face first. Groaning into his pillow Kazuichi turned his face and shifted so he was lying on his side. Idly he picked at the end of his pillow case, closing his eyes. Light sleep washed over him.

~

_There was something exhilarating about the first day of school, no matter what anyone said. Or at least, in Kazuichi’s mind. It was something about the flowering sakura trees, the pink petals gleaming in the light, beautiful in their fleeting life span. Or maybe it was something about the warming of the air, spring starting to fully swing, batting away the cold of winter. Or maybe it was the excitement of falling back into a routine: seeing classmates, going to class, studying, and after school activities. Even though the weight of institutionalised education and exams was frustrating, anxiety inducing, and a pain._

_Or, Kazuichi added wirily to himself as he glanced around the gym, maybe it was because it was his first day of high school. Novelty over something new had to count, right?_

_“Something new” was exactly the phrase Kazuichi would use to describe Hopes’ Peak Academy. Everything was huge, spacious, and teaming with more potential than all three of Kazuichi’s middle school years combined. There were so many opportunities to just try something new, get involved with something new, or meet new people. Within the first ten minutes alone Kazuichi had seen classrooms for classes he never could have done in middle school and twice the amount of people he could meet. It was enough to make his head spin with delight, to make his heart pound. Not only could Kazuichi start pursuing his passions he could maybe meet his soulmate._

_It happened in so many shounen (and shoujo) manga after all: soulmates meeting in high school. A large part of Kazuichi knew it was simply stories catered to high school kids to drive sales but it didn’t stop the fantasy from being desirable. Closing his eyes for a moment Kazuichi, easily imagined what he’d like his fantasy soulmate to be. Physically Kazuichi wasn’t too certain if he had a particular “type” as the magazines liked to market, but personality wise? Someone kind, considerate, passionate about their interests for starters. Someone who would joke with him but also listen to him too? Kazuichi half smiled to himself and was about to open his eyes when someone bumped into him. Stumbling a little bit, Kazuichi attempted to adjust his balance as his vision focused. Looking up he spotted not just one but two people who had no doubt been trying to navigate their way in the gym for the entrance ceremony._

_The first thing he noticed was both of their hair colours. While the male’s hair was an expected dark tone there was a streak of grey that he no doubt had dyed. Next, the girl’s hair which in complete contrast was a startling blonde. For a brief moment Kazuichi assumed she too had dyed her hair but a moment later that all flew out the window when she looked up at him. Kazuichi’s mouth half unhinged._

_Once, when Kazuichi still went to daycare and still had story time one of the workers had read a fairy tale to them. The story was clearly a translated tale from a European country and even if the words were translated the pictures weren’t. Kazuichi could still vividly remember the long blonde hair of the princess in the story._

_“A princess,” his brain supplied. “This girl is literally a princess.”_

_She was clearly foreign in a quick glance of her facial structure but also the unexpected blue in her eyes that wasn’t seen naturally in Japan. Next, and Kazuichi wasn’t trying to ogle her, but his brain couldn’t help but scream at her gorgeous looks. If he saw her on a fashion magazine it wouldn’t be surprising. Or maybe an ad on the trains or billboards. Kazuichi swallowed and shoved his observations aside._

_“I’m sorry!” He quickly said._

_“Oh no,” the girl shook her head, “I wasn’t paying attention and ran into you.” She paused. “Well ran into both of you.”_

_Both of them… right the boy. Kazuichi whipped his head around to apologise but once again his words fell flat as he spotted the sharpest eyeliner Kazuichi had ever seen on anyone. It accented his entire face yet wasn’t over the top. Kazuichi’s mouth dried and he snapped his mouth shut._

_“Fear not,” he then spoke. “Poisonous thoughts of confusion and anarchy were swirling over the recesses of my moral conscious, obscuring the physical realm of reality from my All-Seeing Eye.”_

_Kazuichi’s mouth dropped again. Who… talked like that? He glanced over to the girl who was stifling a small kind smile._

_“It’s quite all right. I suppose all three of us weren’t paying attention,” she then extended her hand. “I’m Sonia Nevermind.”_

_It took Kazuichi a full second to realise that she wanted them to shake her hand. Western in tradition but given her name and looks not surprising. Kazuichi hastily took her hand, unsure of how handshakes actually worked but Sonia didn’t seem to mind._

_“Souda Kazuichi,” he said before Sonia let go of his hand._

_Sonia then extended her hand to the boy. He stared at it before reaching out to accept it. “My mortal being has the name Tanaka Gundham graced upon it.”_

_“It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Sonia let go of his hand and also directed a smile to Kazuichi. “Now, if you two will excuse me…”_

_She left with a flurry of blonde hair and graceful motions. Kazuichi tightened his grip on the program guide and pretended his heart wasn’t pounding out of his chest._

_It was only after the ceremony, when Kazuichi went to the bathroom that he noticed his timer wasn't set to zero. His heart pounded roughly in his chest and the room spun for a solid thirty seconds before he could manage a gasp of air._

_His timer had started, about an hour and thirteen minutes frozen on his wrist._

_He had met his soulmate._

_But… who? Kazuichi bit his lip and stared at his wrist, as though it held the answers. There were so many people in the gym for their entrance ceremony and it wasn’t as though Kazuichi could obsessively look at his wrist during the entrance ceremony._

_“Shit,” Kazuichi ran his hand through his dark hair and laughed roughly before shaking his head at himself._

_Obviously, he had to count back the time on his timer to solve this mystery. Simple enough math. Kazuichi mentally put his timer starting a bit before the entrance ceremony. There weren’t too many people he had talked to… but the first person he had talked to…_

_Kazuichi’s mouth dropped. No way. No way it was Sonia. That was too good to be true. (The thought that it was Sonia didn’t stop his heart from soaring in his chest.) It could have been Tanaka as well. Or anyone that Kazuichi hadn’t talked to. His timer, after all, wasn’t dependent on a verbal cue._

_So… he’d have to test it out. Kazuichi sucked in a breath. The easiest people to test (hopefully) were Sonia and Tanaka. All three of them were first years and there was a chance they’d be in the same class. Even if they weren’t, they’d have plenty of first year activities to attend. Nodding to himself, Souda exited the bathroom, feeling a little bit of stability._

~

_The next day Kazuichi nearly ran to school, practically skidding down the sidewalk under the pale morning light, his school bag thumping against his side. A few sakura blossoms floated to the ground in an array of light and dark pink. Truly the morning was a picturesque scene but Kazuichi didn’t pay mind or admire it. Instead, he kept pushing himself towards the school, his lungs and wrist burning. By the time he made it to the front of the school his legs wanted to collapse, his lungs were on fire, and his wrist was throbbing with anticipation. Taking a few minutes to inhale deeply and stretch the cramp forming at his side, Kazuichi enjoyed the cool spring air against his sticky face. When his side finally stopped protesting and his legs a little less like jelly Kazuichi made his way to the main building of the school._

_At the front of the school were the shoe lockers, all of them already labeled and arranged by year and name. Kazuichi walked over to the first year’s side and easily located his locker. Opening it he slipped his outdoor shoes off and grabbed the indoor shoes from his bag, slipping them on. Then, Kazuichi walked past the lockers to the main hallway. At the beginning of the hallway was a bulletin board with the class lists already put up. A few people were lingering but with the school day still early the hallway was relatively silent. Kazuichi swallowed and tugged at the sweatband on his wrist and pulled it up slightly, checking under it. The timer remained frozen on the same numbers from the entrance ceremony. Snapping the band back down, Kazuichi walked up to the board and scanned the lists for his name._

_It didn’t take long to find his name. He also found Sonia’s name with ease. Tanaka’s name came up a second later. Kazuichi took in the class number, heart pounding. Fate was on his side. He could test out the first two potential people immediately. Smiling to himself despite the thundering pound in his chest, Kazuichi walked down the hallway to a flight of stairs. Heading up the stairs, Kazuichi reached the second floor. All the rooms were easily labeled and once Kazuichi spotted his classroom he stepped inside. No one else was there and Kazuichi smiled to himself at being the first person there. Glancing at the desks, Kazuichi didn’t notice any names on the chairs or sides of the desks so he picked the first one he liked and sat down. Then, he fiddled with his sweatband, carefully pulling it down just enough so he could see the frozen timer but not expose his mark to the entire world._

_Now, to wait. Kazuichi bit his lip and tried to ease his heightened nerves by scrolling through his phone, but at every sound from the hallway he ended up jolting up, staring intently at the door, so he put his phone down and lay his head on his arms. Angling his arms in a way to further hide his mark, Kazuichi pretended to be half napping all while keeping his eyes at the door. A long moment passed but it paid off when a distinct shadow of someone at the door appeared. Kazuichi’s heart nearly jumped out his chest as the door slid open._

_Three people walked in. The first two people were girls. One of them had dark brown hair and was very tall. The next person was a girl with the wildest hair Kazuichi had ever seen. At first glance it was dark but then the streaks of white and pink coupled with her hair style stood out like neon lights. Kazuichi’s gaze fixated on them and he couldn’t help but admire how cool the colours worked. (Perhaps he could consider dying his hair? After all, Hopes’ Peak wasn’t as strict about physical appearances.) Finally, the last person was a very buff, very tall man. Kazuichi eyed his biceps and wondered if the man played any sports. All three of them were laughing and chatting loudly. Kazuichi took in his new classmates before glancing at his wrist. Nothing had changed. He exhaled slowly and half sat up._

_“Oh, hello there!” The girl with the unique hair style pipped up. “You’re in this class too?! That’s so exciting! I’m Mioda Ibuki!”_

_“H-Hello,” Kazuichi stammered out, her brightness taking him aback. “I’m Souda Kazuichi.”_

_“Souda, huh?” The brown-haired girl butt in with a wide grin. “I’m Owari Akane.”_

_“And I’m Nekomaru Nidai!!” The man also added in, his voice practically vibrating off the walls. “Nice to meet you, Souda!!!”_

_“Uh… yes, nice to meet you…” Kazuichi blinked before a small smile filled his face. They all seemed like nice people._

_“So, which middle school did you go to?” Mioda continued as she glided through the room, eyes sharp as she took in which desk she’d pick._

_Easy enough question. Kazuichi replied and soon they fell into light small talk, discussing their middle schools and excitement over the Hopes’ Peak Campus. Kazuichi was nodding along to Owari’s joy at the size of the gym when the door opened and a bunch of people walked in. Kazuichi didn’t notice the first two people immediately (who later he learned were named Koizumi Mahiru and Saionji Hiyoko). Instead, he focused in on Sonia and Tanaka, who glided into the room behind them. Swiftly, Kazuichi turned his gaze at his wrist. His heart nearly stopped as the timer had already started. His throat dried and Kazuichi tried to not allow the sheer joy overtake him. His timer started but four people had walked in. For all he knew his timer was reacting to the other two._

_(But it didn’t stop Kazuichi’s heart from soaring at the idea that his original hypothesis was correct.)_

~

_It only took Kazuichi one day to realise Koizumi and Saionji were off the list. While it hadn’t been too obvious in the morning by the time lunch started Kazuichi caught a flash of a name on Saionji’s wrist, hidden by the gorgeous yukata she wore. It was enough for Kazuichi to turn his head sharply at Koizumi and wonder where Saionji’s name was on her before chiding himself for the thought. It was none of his business. Instead, he took the information with a leap of excitement._

_The initial hypothesis was correct and now all Kazuichi had to do was figure out if his wrist was reacting to Sonia or Tanaka._

_~_

_Surprisingly, the opportunity to test Sonia and Tanaka separately came up a week later, when their teacher (Yukizome-sensei) spotted Kazuichi in the hallway before class. Like the first day of class, Kazuichi had been coming to school early in hopes of catching Sonia or Tanaka alone before their classes started so he could confirm who was making his timer go off wildly. So far, no luck but Kazuichi considered this particular morning unlucky as Yukizome-sensei roped him into helping her bring some heavy textbooks to the staff room. How did she even get these into his car in the first place? Kazuichi bit his lip as his arms ached and protested under the weight. Embarrassingly the last few steps to Yukizome-sensei’s desk were wobbled and he all but threw the books roughly on the desk, groaning._

_“Thanks, Souda,” Yukizome-sensei said with a bright smile as she also set a pile of textbooks on the desk. How was she still standing upright and not exhausted under the weight? Did she even need Kazuichi’s help? “You really saved me a few trips.”_

_“Yeah, not a problem, sensei,” Kazuichi half wheezed out as he straightened up and cracked his back with a couple of twists. “Is that all of them?” He hoped feverishly her answer was “yes.”_

_“Yes, that should be all of them!” Oh, thank all of the powers be. “Again, I really appreciate your assistance.” Yukizome-sensei bustled over to the side of her desk and opened one of the drawers. “Wait, do you like spicy senbei?”_

_“Uh… yes?”_

_“Oh good!” Yukizome-sensei pulled out a small cardboard box and opened it, revealing three individually packaged senbei. “I was gifted these from the staff but I’m not a fan of spicy things. I ate a couple to be polite but I don’t think I could eat anymore. I’d feel bad just throwing food out… so… help out your sensei?”_

_“Ah, okay if you’re sure?”_

_“I am!” She nudged the box over._

_Kazuichi picked the first package, which had two large circle senbei in it. “Thanks, sensei.”_

_“Not a problem! See you in homeroom, Souda.”_

_Nodding, Kazuichi pocketed the senbei. He’d save them for lunch. Turning to leave the room, Kazuichi was almost to the door when it opened again, revealing both Sonia and Tanaka, holding a large stack of papers. Souda froze immediately and while his heart burst happily in his chest, he couldn’t just check his wrist in the middle of the staff room. Besides, their gazes were fixed on Yukizome-sensei, both bowing politely._

_“Excuse us. It’s Sonia Nevermind and Tanaka Gundham,” Sonia began with the usual formality. “Kizakura-sensei asked us to bring these papers to his desk. May we come in?”_

_“Oh, of course,” Yukizome-sensei brightly replied. “Kizakura-sensei’s desk is right over here,” she pointed to a desk along the right side of the room._

_“Thank you very much.”_

_Sonia and Tanaka both walked in but Kazuichi couldn’t linger around the room for any longer. Swallowing his disappointment down, he walked to the exit and excused himself properly but not before hearing Yukizome-sensei also offer the two the last two senbei she was trying to get rid of. Sadly, Kazuichi didn’t want to linger in the hallway with no reason present so he made his way back to the classroom. Besides, Sonia and Tanaka were most likely going to head back together and his chance to test his timer in the morning was shot._

_“Next time,” Kazuichi muttered to himself._

_But there wasn’t a next time. By lunch time rolled around whispers and gossip lingered in the hallways and classrooms, stating that Sonia and Tanaka were soulmates._

_(Kazuichi’s senbei didn’t taste like anything at all by the time he got around to eating it.)_

_~_

_In another universe maybe Kazuichi would have tried to keep testing his timer or even confronted Sonia and Tanaka about it. Maybe in this other universe Kazuichi figured out who his timer was reacting to and they worked it out one way or another. Maybe they became close friends or maybe they worked out the fact that either Sonia or Tanaka had a second soulmate. It wasn’t uncommon after all._

_But Kazuichi was a coward. He saw the writing on the wall. He was the Extra Soulmate. The one who was unfortunate enough to have a one-way link to their soulmate. Media loved using it as a writing trope for a variety of reasons but Kazuichi doubted any writing or show could capture the sorrow at the realisation. Sure, media loved using it for extra drama but Kazuichi’s life wasn’t a drama._

_There was nothing he could do, even if he wanted to. Any actions would come off as desperate or paint him as an unwanted pest. Which was the singular most embarrassing thing Kazuichi could imagine himself doing._

_So, he continued to hide his wrist and the useless soulmate mark all through high school._

_(It was for the best.)_

_~_

_“What’s the worst thing in a relationship?”_

_One of Kazuichi’s engineering classmates groaned at the question but the rest of his core first year engineering class shushed him with glares or eye rolls. Kazuichi simply took a long sip of his drink and wished it was a harder liquor._

_“Oh, that’s easy!” One of the girls said with a flick of her hair. “Guys who can’t put the toilet seat down.”_

_A few of the guys started to protest but a few of the other girls nodded their heads very enthusiastically._

_“I think the worst thing is when they are inconsistent,” a guy spoke up. “Like I once dated this guy who changed plans on me all the time. Drove me crazy.”_

_“Here, here,” one of the girls high fived him for that answer. “I dated a girl who did the exact same thing only she kept using the same excuse over and over again. Drove me nuts too.”_

_“I think,” one of the other girls spoke up with a lazy drawl, “people who are too hung up on finding their soulmates are the worst. I had, and I kid you not, two separate people walk out of our first date within ten minutes when it became apparent that I wasn’t their soulmate.”_

_“Ew, that’s so unfair!” The girl beside her groaned. “I mean, that’s fine if you want to find your soulmate but be upfront with it and don’t spring it up last minute.”_

_“Speaking of soulmate crap,” one of the guys cut in with a wide hand wave, “I cannot stand when people who can’t get with their soulmate for one reason or another still have their soulmate mark. Why cling to something you can’t have, right? Just go to a shop and remove it.”_

_More people nodded their agreement and Kazuichi took a long sip of his drink yet again, his wrist burning hotly against his sweatband. Suddenly, all Kazuichi wanted to do was escape the room._

_Was his timer still being present a sign he couldn’t move on from Sonia and Tanaka (who had dated happily through high school, like some sort of fantasy romance sprung out of Hollywood’s wildest dreams.)? Kazuichi wasn’t certain. Beyond being classmates and sort-of-friends, it wasn’t as though he had lingered in texting or calling them after they graduated. That had felt like enough to show Kazuichi had no intentions of getting in their way but…_

_Kazuichi’s wrist itched and burned. He suddenly wanted to claw the skin of his wrist clean off._

_~_

_Sadly (or lucky enough for Kazuichi) finding shops that removed or changed soulmate indicators wasn’t too difficult. A simple search yielded many shops, their locations, and contact information. Filtering them by location (making sure they weren’t too far) Kazuichi began his research the next morning._

_The taste of weak alcohol still lingered in his memory and the burning of his wrist had died down to a dull itch._

~

Kazuichi woke up to the sun half set outside, the orange glow of the light trying to push its way into his room. His legs were stiff due to his jeans, his mouth dry, and his head was slightly pounding. Groaning, Kazuichi stretched and grabbed his phone. A little late for dinner but his stomach was grumbling. Ambling up, Kazuichi went to his kitchen, grabbed a generic over-the-counter painkiller and swallowed the gel capsule with a generous amount of water to ease his dry throat. Almost immediately the pounding seemed to decrease. Smiling to himself Kazuichi turned to making a simple supper, humming as he worked.

~

Sonia woke up with a familiar heavy arm over her waist and blankets tangled around her legs. Groaning Sonia snuggled backwards into Tanaka’s arms, enjoying his sleep-addled heat, but also subtly attempting to pull the covers back around her body, mainly for her arms which were starting to feel chilled. She only managed to pull the blanket a little before Tanaka tugged her closer, pulling more of his blankets, which were still neatly around him, over her.

“Good morning, my princess,” his voice was soft and low in the morning.

“Good morning, my dark lord,” Sonia replied with a smile.

Tanaka’s arms tightened and his lips started to lightly press against her temple before trailing down the back of her neck. Sonia arched slightly back and smiled to herself. Tanaka didn’t deepen or nibble but the simple heat of his lips was always a delight. Sonia closed her eyes and angled her neck a bit. Tanaka pressed more up the side before he tugged her so she was facing him. Sonia took a moment to stare at Tanaka’s face. Even under the dull light of their room she could still make out his features, the brightness of his eyes. Leaning in, Sonia kissed him squarely on the nose before pressing a very light kiss to his lips.

“I got to get up soon,” she informed him. “I have some meetings and what not scheduled early.”

“Understandable, my bright star. Shall I grab the garments you wish to clothe your physical form from their holding place?” Tanaka returned the kiss before he sat up, revealing his bare chest.

Sonia wished she could run her hands up his middle, feel the sleep warmth, the metal adorning his chest. She kept that to herself. Later. Sitting up herself, Sonia pulled her messy hair to the side and got out of bed.

“If you don’t mind. Thank you, Gundham.”

Sliding out of bed, Sonia walked to their adjoining bathroom and flicked the light on. The spacious, Western design stood out, sparkly and clean. A long counter ran along one side with two sinks and a large mirror that spanned the entire wall. A toilet was nestled in one corner and along the other side was a massive shower and tub set, both of them separate. The shower’s water ran like a waterfall and the tub was large enough to fit at least five people comfortably. Sonia swiftly got to work in freshening up, combing out her hair before stepping into the shower. She foregone washing it, vowing to do it later, and instead quickly washed herself. She wasn’t even in long enough for steam to form on the mirror. Stepping out, Sonia wrapped a fluffy towel around herself, drying off quickly, before wrapping it around her waist.

Walking over to her sink, Sonia was about to pull out her make-up bag when the door opened and Tanaka appeared in the doorway. Behind him their bedroom was still in the dark making Sonia wonder how he found her clothes in the closet but that all faded when she took in the clothing, still on hangers.

The night before Sonia had picked out the clothing: a sharp pair of dark pants, a light pink shirt with a tasteful gold and black geometric shape pattern, and a pair of her favourite heels. Yet, in the light of the bathroom the shirt was completely off. The shapes remained untouched but the shirt itself…

Sonia blinked a couple of times and stared at it for a very long moment. For a second she wondered if Tanaka accidentally grabbed the wrong shirt but that was thrown out the window. The shirt was too distinct with the pattern. But the pink…

“Gundham… am I seeing things or is my pink shirt… grey?”

Tanaka’s eyes widened and he glanced down at the shirt, no doubt seeing it for the first time in proper lighting, and nearly dropped it, his mouth opening and shutting soundlessly.

“I… I’m afraid if this is an illusion then the both of us are trapped within it.”

Both of them… Sonia’s mouth also unhinged and all she could do was stare in shock as her brain processed that yes, her pink shirt was now, in fact, appearing grey to not just her eyes but also Tanaka’s.

Just what was going on here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kazuichi's soulmate mark: His mark is a timer that only starts when he's in the presence of his soulmates. When he's not in their presence it pauses itself but will resume if/when he's back in their presence. 
> 
> Sonia and Tanaka's soulmate indicator: I'll get into it more later but their indicator is "if they have the exact same object it glows". I tweaked it for this fic, add in the stipulation of "exact". For example, Sonia and Tanaka both having a pencil is not going to get their indicator to go off. Sonia and Tanaka both having a pencil from the same package or the Exact Same Brand/Make will get it to go off. Also the glow doesn't last forever and is only visible for a short while. They discovered they were soulmates from the senbei Yukizome gave them. Since those were the last two senbei of the same flavour from the same package and they were the only two in possession of the senbei they found out they were soulmates in their first week of high school together.
> 
> Yukizome giving the senbei: When I was teaching in Japan my school had no issues giving food to students.
> 
> Senbei: Japanese crackers (usually refer to any type of rice cracker).
> 
> Four Leaf Clover: A reference to Komaeda's luck.
> 
> Hajime and Komaeda's soulmate indicator: They share the same colour eye. In this case they share one eye that is red.
> 
> Magic: I'll get into this later but magic is mainly centered around soulmate stuff and limited technology so don't think people are going to suddenly throw fireballs at one another ahaha. Not in this fic.
> 
> Spring time: Japanese school begins in April (ends in March).
> 
> Shoe lockers: Japanese schools have students change their shoes. At the front of the school is where their shoe locker is, mainly for swapping out outdoor and indoor shoes.
> 
> Entering the staff room: I'm basing this off of what my students in Japan said when they entered the staff room at the school I worked at. 
> 
> Flashbacks: Originally I was going to write Kazuichi closer to canon with obsessing over Sonia but then my Second Hand Embarrassment Kicked in and I decided this was my AU and I can Do What I Want.


	2. Cupcakes and the Return of Pink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!!!
> 
> I'm done Ch. 2!!! I'm super excited. I had a lot of fun writing this one. Everything flowed so smoothly and that's such a nice change for me. Ahaha. Getting more into the meat of the story was a blast and I think I have everything set up to knock down for Ch. 3 to be the final one. No promises but that's my goal! I hope you all enjoy this chapter and if anything isn't making sense I have a ton of end notes for clarification.
> 
> As always please feel free to leave kudos and or comments as those always make my day! Also, if you want to check out my tumblr or message me there the link is right [HERE](http://www.kimium.tumblr.com).

Kazuichi woke five minutes before his alarm to a languid, well rested feeling that permeated through his entire being. Rolling over to the side with his night stand, Kazuichi reached for his phone, carefully unplugging it before rolling onto his back to check his missed messages from the night. Beyond a few notifications from some of his apps, a few missed emails from school, Kazuichi also had a text from one of his classmates, telling him that they sent him their notes. Immediately typing back a thanks, Kazuichi turned his alarm off, got out of bed, and got ready for the day.

His bus was silent, Kazuichi taking a slightly earlier one as he rode off to school, bag on his lap, headphones in. Most of the noise came from the traffic outside with the others on the bus silently looking at their phones or tablets.

When the university came into view most of the bus emptied, Kazuichi following behind a stream of people. Hoisting his bag over his shoulder, Kazuichi made his way down the familiar path towards his first class.

The engineering building was divided into two parts, both of them connected by a single long walk way that was made entirely of glass. The two buildings themselves were a maze of a place with twists and turns ad odd angles. Rumour around the campus was the engineer allowed his dog to help map out the place, adding in hallways to wherever his dog stopped and turned. Kazuichi wasn’t entirely sure of the validity of the rumour and always personally thought the engineer was half drunk when planning the place. Not that Kazuichi had any proof of his theory. Regardless of if Kazuichi was right or wrong the lay out of the building made it a headache for newcomers and veterans of the place alike. Simply weaving his way through the mess of the building was a task but a task Kazuichi had down to a science.

Making his way through his predetermined-do-not-stray path, Kazuichi made it to his lecture theatre, a sizable think nestled in the corner at the end of a long hall. Walking inside Kazuichi spotted the usual people already there, books and laptops out leaning back in the slightly-uncomfortable chairs. Giving everyone a polite nod of hello, Kazuichi walked up near the top of the lecture hall, sat down in his usual seat, and pulled his stuff out. Kazuichi was just about to log onto his laptop when his phone lit up with a message. Pausing Kazuichi grabbed his phone from the side and checked it.

 **Owari:** _Hey, Kazuichi! Nekomaru and I were thinking of having a get together this weekend! Are you up to it? Let us know if you are!_

She had then added a row of unnecessary emojis. Kazuichi swallowed harshly. A hangout. Normally it would be fine; he had after all, lived an entire three years of pretending either Sonia and or Tanaka weren’t possibly his soulmates. But now, with his wrist? Kazuichi hastily raised his right arm, staring at the leather bracelet, trying to not think about what was under it. How would he react to seeing Sonia and Tanaka now? Would the knowledge of what he had done to his mark make things awkward between them?

Biting his lip, a long second passed before Kazuichi huffed to himself. What was he fretting about? Nothing had changed at all. Nothing what so ever. Sonia and Tanaka never knew about Kazuichi’s mark and now having his mark changed to pretend he didn’t have one was something only Kazuichi would know. Besides, what else would Kazuichi do on the weekend? Hole himself up in his apartment? Getting out and seeing friends was healthy. Half laughing to himself in relief, Kazuichi quickly typed out a reply to Owari.

 **Me:** _Sure, I should be able make it. What time are you thinking?_

Setting his phone back down, Kazuichi finished preparing for his lecture. He only checked his phone a minute before the class started, as a lot of stragglers were rushing in, and saw that Owari had texted the details. Turning his phone over, Kazuichi focused on his lecture, shoving down a flutter of butterflies that threatened to form in his stomach.

~

With the confirmation of an outing for the weekend Kazuichi’s week of classes flowed by a lot smoother and by the time Friday hit Kazuichi was faced with the realisation that the week was done and that he hadn’t bought anything to bring over to Owari and Nidai’s place. Sure, the couple hadn’t mentioned that Kazuichi needed to bring something over, but common courtesy and past experience told Kazuichi he should pick something up.

So, when classes ended a bit early for him, Kazuichi quickly packed up his laptop and books before rushing out of the lecture hall. His bag bounced at his side heavily and Kazuichi half gripped the side in fear that he’d do something to his laptop. People half protested as Kazuichi wove through them to the bus, but he ignored them in favour of running mentally down the bus numbers for the bus that went downtown. There were a few but Kazuichi picked the one with the least detours, managing to sneak himself on the bus between the crowd of other students wanting to leave the campus. With the bus so packed Kazuichi was forced to stand but he didn’t mind, though he did feel a bit bad about his bulky bag being in the way.

The bus lurched and his worries flew in favour of Kazuichi steadying his balance, grabbing onto the pole in front of him. Sighing internally Kazuichi made sure the bus was going at a steady speed before carefully pulling out his phone and scrolling idly through until his stop arrived.

As soon as Kazuichi stepped out he immediately located a café and grabbed himself a coffee. Sipping it as he walked down the street, he glanced at the shops, eyeing some of the shops that ran along a strip of sidewalk for about two blocks. Sure, Kazuichi could have walked into a department store, gone up the multiple floors and shopped at one of the many stores, but there were many options along the street and the day warm. Humming to himself, Kazuichi kept his pace, half reading the signs: chocolate places… specialty wines and sake… tea and teapots… a bakery… a book store… Kazuichi paused and immediately back tracked to the bakery.

The bakery was a small thing, with glass windows that allowed people to see inside. At the front was a display of baking on a tiered platter, sort of reminding Kazuichi of a pyramid. On each level were different baked goods only for display. Kazuichi stared from the cupcakes to the macaroons, to the cookies and nodded to himself. Sweets and desserts were always a safe bet to bring because even if someone else brought a dessert there was a guarantee that there wouldn’t be a repeat.

With his mind made up Kazuichi pushed the door open, listening to the soft chime of the bell above. A few people were milling around the place and now that Kazuichi was inside he could admire the pale blue of the walls, the polished light wooden floors, and the inner display case. There were also a few tables in the corner that couldn’t sit more than two people in case someone wanted to quickly sit down and enjoy their baked good inside.

Making his way to the front counter, Kazuichi eyed the menu, which hung over the counter, written neatly. Scanning it, Kazuichi decided on cupcakes, which ran at a good deal for half or even a dozen. Biting his lip, Kazuichi opted to buy a dozen cupcakes. Even if there weren’t twelve people and other food at the get together it never hurt to have extras.

“Hello, how can we help you?” The girl at the counter asked him once Kazuichi got to the front.

“Uh, hi. I’d like a dozen of your cupcakes.”

“Of course, sir. Do you want to pick the flavours or do you want them at random?”

Kazuichi paused and looked over at the flavours. They were all flavours that he knew his friends wouldn’t mind whatever they got. He shook his head.

“You can pick them at random.”

“Okay,” the girl punched some numbers on the till before telling Kazuichi the total. “Do you want an icepack at an additional cost?”

“No thank you.”

The ride home was after all not a long one. The girl nodded and Kazuichi dug into his bag and paid before stepping to the side and waiting patiently as the girl started to fill the white cardboard box. When she finished, she neatly folded the lid down and tied it with a pretty ribbon followed by a sticker with the bakery’s logo. Kazuichi thanked her and hoisted the box into his arms. He turned to the exit and was about to leave when a couple walked in. Pausing to politely let them through Kazuichi almost walked out but the couple caught his eye. He stopped and stared but it was Komaeda who smiled brightly and waved at him with his metal arm.

“Souda, fancy seeing you here!” He tugged Hinata over to Kazuichi, a bright smile on his face.

“Uh, yeah same to you, Komaeda,” Souda said, hugging the box to his chest.

“You remember us!” Komaeda laughed. “That’s good or this would have been super awkward.”

Hinata sighed, “Nagito…”

“Anyways,” Komaeda continued, voice still bright, “what brings you here?”

“Bought some cupcakes,” Kazuichi held the box up. “Seeing some friends this weekend.”

“Oh! This café makes the best cupcakes,” Komaeda informed him. “It’s why we’re here.” He then very blatantly eyed Kazuichi’s cupcake box.

Kazuichi looked down at them and then up at Komaeda. Did… he want a cupcake? From him? A little bold but it wasn’t as though Kazuichi didn’t have enough cupcakes to spare. At his side Hinata once again sighed, this time very loudly, and tugged Komaeda’s arm, pulling him closer to his side.

“Nagito, please don’t go around trying to take cupcakes from people. People that were our clients to boot.”

“I wasn’t going to ask him!” Komaeda’s tone implied that he very much was going to ask Kazuichi for a cupcake.

“Right,” Hinata groaned before he turned to Kazuichi. “Ignore him. We know the owner of this bakery and can certainly get baked goods ourselves.”

“Ah,” Kazuichi swallowed and flushed a little before the last bit of Hinata’s sentence hit his brain. “Wait, you know the owner?”

“Yeah, we do,” Hinata fondly smiled. “Went to high school with him. His name is Hanamura Teruteru. He also runs some restaurants around the city. I highly recommend you check them out and I’m not just saying that because we’re friends. He truly has a passion for cooking.”

“Oh okay,” Kazuichi couldn’t help but smile at that. Hinata really was a kind person. “I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the suggestion. Anyways, I best be going. Don’t want the icing to melt.”

“Of course,” Hinata politely replied. “I hope the rest of your day is good. Maybe our paths will cross again.”

“Maybe…”

“Yeah!” Komaeda piped up from beside Hinata. “If we see one another again I can tell you more about my metal arm.”

That perked Kazuichi up and his gaze immediately fell on the metal once again. The offer was tempting… there was so much Kazuichi wanted to explore, to test with Komaeda’s arm.

“Sure! I’d like that very much!” Kazuichi blurted out before he could stop himself. He flushed a deep pink. “Er, anyways… I best be going. See you later!”

Swiftly, and making sure he was still holding the box of cupcakes properly Kazuichi exited the bakery, but not before catching the tail end of Hinata and Komaeda’s conversation and witnessing Hinata very visibly sigh and run a hand through his hair as they chatted.

“Nagito… that’s a bit too forward…”

“What? I like making new friends. Don’t you, Hajime?”

A new friend. The last bit of Komaeda’s sentence floated all around Kazuichi, nestling warmly before soaking into his body. A smile broke across Kazuichi’s face as he pushed himself quickly to his bus stop. Potential new friends and a hang out with his old ones? Kazuichi’s heart burst with a sharp wave of happiness that lasted through the rest of his evening.

~

The next day Kazuichi slowly woke up and savoured the soft, slow motions of the weekend. No alarms, no worries about going somewhere immediately or doing something. Just laziness and warmth all around him. Sure, there was some homework but Kazuichi could shuffle it off the side, at least for the one day. So, Kazuichi rolled to the side and watched some new episodes to anime on his phone while nestled under his warm covers. When Kazuichi finished the latest episode to one of the many series he was watching (and his stomach couldn’t take him lying around any longer) he crawled out of bed and ambled to his kitchen.

Since it was a weekend Kazuichi treated himself to a better made breakfast than the usual quick fixes he preferred like toast, yogurt, or leftovers. Pulling out the ingredients for a western style breakfast Kazuichi fried up some breakfast sausages, enjoying the smell of meat cooking. As those cooked Kazuichi cracked a couple of eggs and scrambled them, cooking them in another small pan. He then pulled out some fruit from his fridge and sliced some apples and pears into neat little slices. Toast came next and when the meal was complete Kazuichi happily tucked in, savouring the food, eating slowly.

As he ate, Kazuichi scrolled through his phone, checking the social media he had neglected earlier in favour of watching anime. Once caught up with his timelines and was filled with food, Kazuichi quickly cleaned up before changing out of his pajamas and washing quickly up. Then, Kazuichi pulled his hair back, tying it into a low ponytail, toying with the ends. The dark roots of his vibrant pink hair were starting to show through.

Making a mental note to schedule another hair appointment soon, Kazuichi swapped his leather band with his usual sweatband (not staring too long at the zeros and red line through them) he then grabbed his recent personal project and began to tinker in his living room. It wasn’t the most ideal location to be taking apart and building machines (no doubt Kazuichi wasn’t getting his damage deposit back) but Kazuichi couldn’t think of a better place to work. It wasn’t as though he was willing to travel to some workshop around town just to indulge in his hobby.

Humming to himself, Kazuichi put some music on, playing it from his phone, and began to work. Time bled fluidly away from him as he put parts together, tightening here and there, adjusting small and large parts. It was only when his legs, back, and butt began to protest loudly did Kazuichi pause in his work and check the time. His phone informed him it was past four in the afternoon. Kazuichi sighed at realising he had skipped lunch but at this point it was too late. Owari and Nidai did say that people could come over around six and that was only two hours away. Kazuichi could wait to eat until then. But first… cleaning up.

With practiced motions Kazuichi cleaned his living room up, hauling his project back into his closet before grabbing a wet cloth and returning to hastily wipe down the area he had been working in. A bit of black oil and other things smeared unflattering against the wooden floor but Kazuichi vowed to wash his floors properly later. Lazy but Kazuichi wasn’t going to risk showing up late to his friends’ place simply because he got caught up in cleaning his place.

Heading back to his bathroom, Kazuichi rinsed out the cloth in the sink, watching the black water swirl down the drain before after a couple of rinses it turned clear. Hanging it on the small hook on the wall, Kazuichi stripped his clothing, shuffling the dirty clothes to the side of the room before walking into his washroom, mindful of the tiled floor, not wanting to slip. Setting the tub to fill, Kazuichi then turned the shower on and slowly washed his body and hair, watching the soapy bubbles swirl down the drain. Then, when he was satisfied that he was clean Kazuichi turned the shower off and soaked in the tub, flicking the water with his fingers.

Kazuichi only left the tub when his fingers began to wrinkle and the water’s temperature was significantly cooler. Draining the tub, Kazuichi stood up and carefully got out of his washroom. Drying off took a second though Kazuichi wrapped his hair in a towel just to help soak up the water. Then, he changed into clean, casual clothes (and making sure to put his leather band back on) before changing his earrings, re-braiding the strand by his ear before deeming himself ready.

Making double sure to have the important things with him (especially the cupcakes) Kazuichi left his apartment and headed down to the bus stop. Owari and Nidai lived a bit of a hike away from him. The ride wasn’t too long in theory but with all the stops the bus needed to make Kazuichi was stuck on the bus for a solid thirty minutes. He made extra sure to keep the cupcakes steady through the entire ride, only daring to take his protective hold on the box off when the bus finally reached his stop.

Owari and Nidai’s place was in a nice residential area with a healthy mix of young couples and families. Kazuichi walked down the sidewalk in a straight, determined path; the way to Owari and Nidai’s place engraved in his mind. He even took a short cut through a park, smiling at the playground with fondness as he passed it.

Once Kazuichi finally reached their place, he made sure to balance the box carefully as he rang the doorbell. A long second passed before the door opened, Owari standing there.

“Kazuichi!” She enthusiastically moved for a hug.

Kazuichi moved the cupcake box as high as his arms could without dropping it. “Ah, ah, ah. No. Stop right there. Not a step closer.”

Owari dramatically pouted. “Kazuichi! How could you deny me a hug? I thought we were friends! Don’t you want to hug me anymore?”

“Oh, I don’t mind hugging you but your hug would definitely cause these cupcakes to be a splatter of cake and icing on the ground. And after all the effort I went into buying these and carting them over here…”

Her eyes immediately lit up at his words, her dramatic pout fading with a snap. “Cupcakes! Kazuichi! You didn’t have to! You’re my best friend!”

“I thought you were just accusing me of not wanting to be friends with you.”

“Oh hush,” Owari laughed brightly and stepped aside. “Come on in.”

Kazuichi lowered his arms and smiled brightly. “Thanks, Akane. Smells good in here.”

“Yeah, Nekomaru and I were cooking all day. I hope you brought your appetite.”

“I certainly did,” Kazuichi replied as he kicked his shoes off. “Missed lunch since I was tinkering with my project.”

“Kazuichi!” Owari crossed her arms. “That’s not healthy. You seriously need someone to tell you to eat,” she paused. “That or you need to set an alarm up to remind you to eat.”

“Right, sure,” Kazuichi muttered before he handed Owari the box. “Be careful with those.”

“Will do!” She easily took the cupcake box from Kazuichi. “Ibuki, Mahiru, and Hiyoko couldn’t make it today but Mikan, Byakuya, and Ryouta are in the living room.”

Kazuichi didn’t need any more permission. He left Owari and walked down the short hall to the living room, spotting the three on the couch. Byakuya and Ryouta were sandwiching Tsumiki who was both pink with delight and embarrassment. Kazuichi gave a short wave and watched as Tsumiki’s eyes lit up, spotting him first. Her two soulmates followed her gaze a split second later, as though sparked by Tsumiki.

“Kazuichi, it’s been too long,” Byakuya brightly said. “How have you been?”

“I’ve been busy with school and what not.” Kazuichi made his way to the coffee table, sitting on a generous pile of cushions, looking directly at the trio. “All the assignments… they never seem to end. So, tonight is my night to relax and not think too hard about it.”

“Ugh, I understand that,” Ryouta huffed. “I spend all my time working on some sort of animation thing. Every time something goes wrong people seem to think I’m the one to go to for advice or help. My poor hands…”

Kazuichi winced at that. “Oof, I feel you there.”

“I also need an evening to relax,” Byakuya continued. “Like my poor Ryouta it seems everyone in my department needs my assistance one way or another. I feel as though I’m juggling thirty different roles and jobs.”

Grimacing at that, Kazuichi looked over at Tsumiki. “Dare I ask how the hospital has been?”

“B-busy… as usual… some days I just n-nap right after work. O-Once it was s-so b-bad I couldn’t e-even grab more sticky notes for my d-desk.”

Ryouta half chuckled at that and ran a warm hand down Tsumiki’s back. “She resorted to writing notes on her arms and hands. Imagine how confused I was when I saw what she had written.”

“I can imagine that…” Kazuichi could barely remember basic Biology from high school. Whatever notes Tsumiki had written they would have also flown over his head.

“I-I was s-so embarrassed… but d-desperate times…” Tsumiki half buried her face in her hands.

“Don’t worry about it, darling,” Byakuya very kindly smiled. “The situation has been reversed.”

Kazuichi half laughed to himself and shoved the memory of Tsumiki telling the story of her co-worker’s confusion when Ryouta’s animation notes appeared on her arms during a lunch break. A classic. Kazuichi hoped that the story made the cut as an embarrassing story at their wedding.

“Oh! Are we talking about embarrassing moments now?”

Turning Kazuichi spotted Owari sauntering into the room, holding a couple of plates with snacks. The first one was a cheese and cracker platter and the second one was chocolate dipped fruit. She set them on the coffee table before plopping down beside Kazuichi.

“Well?” She pressed.

“N-No!” Tsumiki immediately protested. “J-just talking about being busy.”

“Uh huh,” Owari hummed and picked up a strawberry, biting the tip of it with a generous chomp. “Our gym has been picking up in business. So many new programs we’re testing out and excited to give a try. Yesterday I was showing some of the new instructors around the place for orientation. Plus, Nekomaru has a few more people he’s personally coaching.”

“Wow,” Kazuichi reached for the cheese platter, taking a rice cracker and some Brie cheese, “compared to my studying and labs I’m starting to feel I’m lucky.”

“School, work, the exhaustion is all the same,” Owari very kindly replied. “Hence why we’re going to have a lovely hang out time tonight. I hope you’re not thinking of driving because we splurged a bit on some alcohol.”

“Oh, thank god,” Kazuichi groaned. “I’m taking you up on that offer.”

“Excellent!” Owari was about to reach for another piece of fruit when the door bell rang. She immediately stood up. “Ah, that must be Sonia and Gundham. I’ll go grab that. Oh, and help yourselves to the food.”

“Already did,” Kazuichi held up the cheese and cracker, ignoring the pounding in his heart at the mere mention of Sonia and Tanaka’s names.

“I was directing that to them,” Owari pointed to the three on the couch before she bounded off.

“Right.”

Kazuichi ate his cheese and cracker in a single bite, chewing absentmindedly, pretending his wrist suddenly wasn’t itching. A baseless reaction. Hadn’t Kazuichi already gone through the entire motion of fear, worry, and anxiety over Sonia and Tanaka? Again, it wasn’t as though anyone knew of his soulmate mark and it wasn’t as though they’d ask him. They hadn’t in high school and it wasn’t as though they’d start now. Still, Kazuichi as casually as he could tried to scratch his wrist while keeping the leather hiding the skin. He only dropped his hand as though he had burned it when a moment later Owari returned with Sonia and Tanaka in tow. Shuffling a little bit on the cushions, Kazuichi kept his gaze focused on the food in front of him, silently thanking Owari for retaking her seat beside him.

“Greetings, my fellow comrades bound by the link of friendship, how have the proceedings of your daylight hours washed over you?”

Kazuichi forced the bubble of laughter at the typical Tanaka dialogue down his throat. It warmed him to know that some things never really changed.

“They’ve been all right,” Ryouta replied politely to Tanaka. “Just busy.”

“Ah, it seems the plights of the world have also been inflicted upon you,” Tanaka dramatically bemoaned before he sat down by the coffee table, his shoulder knocking with Kazuichi’s as he sat down.

The mere brush of their skin nearly broke Kazuichi but a moment later he completely froze when Sonia sat down beside Tanaka. Whatever she was wearing be it a perfume or body wash it waffled over to Kazuichi’s nose, tickling it with a subtle floral scent. A warm flush rushed over Kazuichi’s body. How awkward was he? Did noticing how good Sonia smelled make him some sort of weirdo? Kazuichi attempted to move a little bit away but Tanaka’s hand slammed on his shoulder in a friendly grasp.

“Kazuichi!” His voice was warm, loud in an upbeat way that always characterised him. “Intimate greetings have not been exchanged yet between us! Please, deluge your inner thoughts about your being for me.”

Well, he couldn’t very well try to talk to Tanaka without looking at him. That was rude. Kazuichi held back a small huff, steeled himself, and turned so he met Tanaka’s gaze, eye to eye. Making his lips widen into a smile, Kazuichi opened his mouth but that action halted in a brutally quick way when he caught Tanaka’s gaze.

It had widened, almost as though something Kazuichi had done or said had confused him. No, not confused. That was too mild of a word. Bewildered? Flabbergasted? Shocked? Kazuichi tried to run through a list of words but none of them seemed to fully encapsulate Tanaka’s expression.

“Kazuichi?” Sonia’s voice cut through the silence Kazuichi hadn’t noticed forming thickly between them. “Is something the—”

Her gaze met Kazuichi’s and all at once the exact same expression crossed Sonia’s face. Kazuichi could only watch with amazement as Sonia mirrored her soulmate, both of them staring at Kazuichi, pinning him in place. Behind him Kazuichi could distantly hear Owari asking something but her voice was muffled, not registering. Kazuichi wanted to turn and look at her, ask what she was asking but he couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t look away from Sonia and Tanaka—

A cold splash of something hit his arm. Kazuichi immediately yelped and jumped up, almost toppling the table and Nidai over. Whipping his head around Kazuichi saw Nidai standing there sheepishly with a pitcher that had clearly been full of some sort of sweet drink. The cold liquid dripped off Kazuichi’s arm, running under his leather bracelet, and he shivered.

“Oops, I’m sorry, Kazuichi!” Nidai immediately rushed to his side. “I slipped on one of the cushions and—”

“It’s all right, Nekomaru,” Kazuichi breathed out, the room suddenly spinning back to orbit, now that he wasn’t pinned by Sonia and Tanaka’s stares. “I’ll just… go wash my arm off.”

“Feel free to use the bathroom. There are extra towels in the side cabinet,” Owari informed him.

“Thanks.”

Kazuichi hustled out of the room, his heart distantly pounding very distinctly in his ear. Racing into the bathroom, Kazuichi shut the door, not hearing it latch entirely but still it was enough privacy for what he needed to do. Turning the hot water tap on Kazuichi dug in the linen closet along the side, pulling out a face cloth. Soaking it in the water, Kazuichi ran it down his arm. The hot water against the sticky, cold drink was pleasant. Working as quickly as he could, Kazuichi tried to clean up as much as he could without moving the bracelet but if he didn’t wash it and the skin under it, he’d be sticky all night. Sighing Kazuichi took it off and ran the leather under the tap, patting it dry with the hand towel before moving onto his wrist.

Washing his wrist was a far easier task and once Kazuichi was done his arm was wet but warm from the water. Reaching into the linen closet once more Kazuichi grabbed another smaller towel and dried his arm off, angling his wrist upward so he could make sure everything was clean. The soulmate mark starkly stared back at him. Kazuichi hid his scowl and grabbed his bracelet, slipping it back on.

When he returned to the living space the cushions that no doubt had been soaked too were gone and Sonia and Tanaka weren’t there. Kazuichi stared at Owari who upon seeing him patted the space at her other side.

“Gundham also got a bit of the juice on him,” she explained as Kazuichi sat down. “Sonia insisted on going with him to help wash it off.”

In Kazuichi’s opinion Tanaka was more than capable of washing juice off himself but who was he to judge? “I didn’t see them when I exited the bathroom.”

“Yeah, they might have went to the kitchen or to the upstairs bathroom,” Owari waved her hand with a shrug. “Anyways, Nekomaru also brought out some alcohol. You can have first pick since he accidentally doused you.”

“Sorry again!”

“It’s fine, no worries.”

Kazuichi eyed the selection of canned and bottled beverages on the table. He selected a cider and cracked the can open. It wasn’t a high alcohol content but the night was still starting. Plus, whatever helped Kazuichi get the burning image of Sonia and Tanaka’s gaze out of his brain the better. So, he took a heavy sip and allowed the liquid to rush pleasantly down his throat.

When Tanaka and Sonia returned their eyes caught Kazuichi’s and for a moment he saw something else under their gazes but he didn’t allow himself to ponder it. Instead Kazuichi took another long sip of his drink and ignored the tingling in his wrist once more.

~

_Heaving the bucket of water with an uneasy grip, Sonia sideways walked from the outdoor tap towards the greenhouse. Above the sky was clear and blue. The sun was shining hotly down, the warmth nearly threatening to skyrocket and burn everything in its path if not for the light breeze._

_Sonia bit her lip and kept her steady pace towards the greenhouse, which was a surprisingly big one built right outside the science room. Rotation to who watered the plants as well as who washed down the concrete floors was posted in both the science room and outside the greenhouse. Shifts varied between morning, lunch, and after school. No one in the school was exempt from the shifts and so after the bell Sonia made her way to the greenhouse, leaving her bag inside the science room. Normally Tanaka would be her partner but with a doctor’s appointment in the afternoon he had left already and Sonia hadn’t bothered to find someone to fill in as her partner for the day._

_It was a task Sonia never imagined herself doing yet couldn’t help the bubble of excitement fill her. Back home if anyone even breathed a word of Sonia doing manual labour her parents would have had a fit. Here in Japan no one cared and treated Sonia like any other student. It was freeing._

_Reaching the greenhouse, Sonia accidentally sloshed a bit of water along the side of the bucket, the coldness of it welcome on her hands, as she set the bucket down. Opening the door, Sonia pushed it until the door locked into place and remained open. Then, Sonia picked up the bucket again and hoisted it inside._

_The greenhouse had row upon row of potted plants along one side, all sitting on tall wooden tables or benches. Along the other side was a generous plot of land that was growing multiple different kinds of vegetables. Sonia could spot the labels stuck in the dirt. Taking the bucket of water, Sonia moved closer to the side with the tables and benches. The floor was concrete and dirty from shoes and spilled dirt. Pushing the bucket to the side, Sonia grabbed a broom and began to sweep the chunkier bits of dirt into a neat little pile before sweeping it into a pan and tossing it into the garbage bin labelled “DIRT ONLY”. It would be tossed out into the grounds later._

_Then Sonia grabbed the mop and pail. She sunk the mop into the water and began to wash the rows down, making sure she wove up and down so she didn’t walk into the wet part. She was almost done when a startled yelp came from the door. Turning her head around, Sonia spotted Souda standing at the door way, one foot on her clean space._

_“Ah, I’m sorry!” Souda immediately took a very comical step to the side, scuttling along the wall towards the other side of the greenhouse._

_“That’s all right, Souda,” Sonia assured him. “People will walk in her eventually.”_

_“Still! I hate to immediately mess up your work,” Souda protested lightly before he made his way to the corner of the greenhouse. “Ah, I was asked to look at the power box.”_

_Sonia glanced at the floor. There was a small power box. It mostly fueled the few light bulbs they had in the greenhouse as well as the emergency light by the entrance and exits._

_“Ah, I see,” Sonia twirled the mop’s handle lightly. “Is there something wrong with it?”_

_“Oh, not really,” Souda was already sitting down, cross legged, opening the box. “They just wanted me to do a quick maintenance check.”_

_“We don’t hire people to do it?” Sonia was under the impression Hopes’ Peak had the money for basic things like that._

_“Ah,” Souda’s cheeks pinkened. “They had professionals do the lighting for this but I do this sort of work all the time as a hobby. My father is an electrician and I’ve spent a lot of time listening and watching him make things too. I had to beg the school to allow me to do this. It’s now going towards my extra credit in Industrial Arts. Or something.” He rubbed his head. “Anyways, I’ll leave you to your work.”_

_He turned to the box and immediately opened it up, humming to himself, gaze completely fixed on it. Sonia waited an extra moment, watching as he immediately became absorbed in the task. For someone who claimed it was just for extra work, Souda really seemed invested in the task._

_“It’s kind of cute,” Sonia muttered to herself before she returned to her own task._

_By the time she finished Souda was still tinkering away at the power box. Sonia glanced at the door before she carefully walked over to him._

_“Uh, Souda?” She tried very politely. “I’m going to leave, if that’s okay?”_

_For a second Souda didn’t reply or look up. Sonia opened her mouth but, in that moment suddenly Souda jolted up, as if her words suddenly registered in his brain. Tilting his head around, Sonia watched as the sunlight hit him square on the side of his face, highlighting the vivid pink he had recently began to dye his hair as. Sonia’s breath caught in her throat and something inside of her tingled for a flash before fading away with a snap._

_“Ah, sorry you were saying something?” Souda’s cheeks were pinkening. “I missed that.”_

_“It’s fine,” Sonia’s voice sounded slightly distant. “I was just letting you know that I’m leaving. Please make sure to lock up when you’re done in here.”_

_“Right! Thanks for telling me, Sonia. Have a good rest of your day.”_

_The pink hadn’t left his cheeks and for the rest of the day the image of Souda and pink danced in Sonia’s mind._

~

Sonia could count on one hand how many times she had canceled a meeting. Twice it had been due to a family death (her grandparents, both on her mother’s side) and once when Sonia had caught a fever so high her parents nearly sent her to the hospital.

So, the surprise of her assistant’s voice when Sonia phoned to cancel her meetings for the day. The choice weighed heavily in Sonia’s heart and stomach, nearly threatening to crush her but she pressed on and assured her assistant that all was fine, just something more important came up. The hesitation on the other end was almost palpable and it coated Sonia’s tongue in a disgusting bitter layer of grease.

She ended the call a moment later and swallowed, the bitterness now coating her tongue. Tossing her phone onto their still messy bed, Sonia took a second to lean into Tanaka, closing her eyes. His one arm immediately wrapped around her shoulder, pulling her closer, tucking her to his side. Sonia inhaled and tasted the spicy smell of his body wash and the hint of smoke from the candles and incense he enjoyed burning in his rituals.

If Sonia had the same talent for magic as Tanaka did perhaps, she would have turned to it for answers. Sadly, ritual magic never suited her. It was too finicky, too precise, and not common in her country. Her parents preferred magic that could happen with a sweep of their hands, their arms, their motions. Sonia practically grew up with magic on her heels as she practiced ballroom dancing in the wide ballroom of her parents’ mansion.

How she wished she could call them up and ask for their advice, their reassurance. It wasn’t possible, at least not at this moment. Sonia didn’t want to raise any more alarms than she already had in cancelling her meetings. No doubt she’d have a call from her parents later. She better have a decent answer or excuse lined up. Lying to her parents burned a little bit but sometimes lies to keep people at ease were fine once in a while.

“What do we do now?” Sonia asked softly.

“Your personal family doctor is a discreet woman. No doubt she’d check us over and remain silent on the matter.”

“Right. Of course,” Sonia steadied herself. Their first option was so obvious. Not seeing pink really had thrown her off course. “I’ll give her a call right now.”

Tanaka simply ran his hands through her hair. Sonia leaned into the comforting touch and scrolled her contact list for her doctor. A few minutes later and a promise to arrive at their place as soon as she could, Sonia thanked her doctor and hung up. A long stretch of silence filled the space before Tanaka gently tugged Sonia up to her feet.

“Let’s change and then eat something. Normalcy will help ground our spirits.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks, and sorry I spaced out on the obvious option of calling my doctor.”

“Nonsense. Your mind is under stress and turmoil. Simple slip ups are natural.”

Sonia squeezed Tanaka’s hand. “I love you.”

“Love you too, my princess.”

They went to their closet, digging in for some comfortable, casual clothing. Sonia’s business attire remained abandoned in the bathroom and Sonia wasn’t too sure if she wanted to go retrieve it. Simply seeing the physical evidence of her vision losing the colour pink was too much for Sonia to experience again at the moment. It was hard to ignore though; the shirt was directly in Sonia’s view and she had other pink shirts in her closet that were grey.

Once they were clad in proper clothing, they left the bedroom and walked down the long, vast hallway of Sonia’s house, smiling at maids and workers who gave startled but pleasant smiles and greetings. When they reached the kitchen, the chef gave a very cheerful wave before raising an eyebrow at them.

“Correct me if I’m being too forward Miss Sonia but I do hope you aren’t going to a business meeting in such casual clothing.”

Sonia’s mouth twitched into a smile. “You’re not too forward. My meetings were cancelled.”

“I see. Then you and Tanaka-san can enjoy breakfast at your own pace. Please, take a seat. What would you like to eat?”

Honestly Sonia wanted a piece of toast but she couldn’t just say that. So, she requested a simple breakfast of toast, a poached egg, and fruit. Breakfast flew by in a blur and was practically tasteless. Sonia wanted to apologise to her chef but deep down knew she couldn’t. Instead, she focused on the solid presence of Tanaka beside her.

When her doctor arrived, a smartly dressed woman in her mid forties, Sonia excused herself from the table and followed her to a sitting room with French Doors. Once the doors were shut Sonia and Tanaka sat down on one of the couches.

“Hello, thanks for coming so fast to see us, Higuchi-sensei.”

“It’s not a problem. Though, I do need a bit more detail than what you provided over the phone.”

Sonia flushed at the woman’s light chiding but nodded. “I hope this doesn’t sound like I’m overreacting.”

“If it is something that concerns your health it isn’t an overreaction, Miss Nevermind.”

“Thank you, Higuchi-sensei,” Sonia took a deep breath. “This morning as I was getting ready for the day. When Gundham brought my shirt into the bathroom we both noticed that we couldn’t see the pink in it. The shirt now appears grey to both of us. Naturally, this was alarming and even if I’m not feeling physically ill it was enough for me to cancel my meetings and call you over here.”

Higuchi nodded along but immediately her eyes half widened at the last part, as Sonia talked about being unable to see pink.

“Miss Nevermind, Tanaka-san, has this happened before?”

Happened before? “You mean not being able to see a specific colour? No, it hasn’t. This is the first time.”

Higuchi’s eyes widened a bit more and she leaned forward, “Has this continued since you phoned me or has pink reappeared in your vision?”

“It’s still present,” Sonia confirmed. “I’m not sure what’s wrong.”

Higuchi hummed slightly before she sat back in the chair, her expression schooled back to a calm, professional, but kind one. “I believe the answer is a simple one, Miss Sonia. This lack of colour is a soulmate indicator.”

A… a what? Sonia’s mouth dropped open and she looked wildly at Tanaka before back to Higuchi. “But… our soulmate indicator isn’t a colour based one and if we somehow had a second indicator all along then why has it appeared now?”

Higuchi paused for a moment before she spoke once more, rocking Sonia’s world. “While I’m not one hundred percent certain since this is still a relatively new area of study but this may be a case of a late blooming soulmate indicator.”

Sonia’s world shattered.

~

Sonia spent the rest of her day researching the resources Higuchi had given her.

Late blooming indicator is what they called them. A semi-rare case it was still something that happened. Research, as Higuchi said, was still a new area of study but the theory basically boiled down to people reacting to those without a soulmate. Either those who had lost a soulmate or the infamous “extra” soulmates out there. Almost as though biologically people didn’t want others to be left alone. But a case of two established soulmates both gaining the same late blooming indictor? That was ultra rare and that thought didn’t help settle Sonia’s nerves.

What was the cause of this? Why did this suddenly happen, especially after all the years Sonia had known about Tanaka being her soulmate? Or more importantly… who was the indicator reacting to? Sonia had spun her head around the possibilities all day and all night, not even resting when her head hit the pillow. Even Tanaka’s soothing rubs to her back and calming lavender bath they both took before bed didn’t hide his hesitant motions or the swirling thoughts also plaguing his mind. Sonia could see it through his eyes.

Sleep came roughly and in spurts of inconsistency. By the time Sonia woke the next morning she didn’t feel as though she had slept at all and her mind was aching. Forcing herself out of bed, Sonia ambled to her bathroom, took some painkillers for her headache, and returned to bed, snuggling under Tanaka’s arms.

Desperately she attempted to close her eyes and sleep but it kept evading her. Nothing could help her fall back under even though that was all Sonia wanted. Sighing after a solid chunk of time not being able to fall back asleep, Sonia sat up and grabbed her phone. Immediately a message stood out in her notifications. Surprisingly, it wasn’t from her parents. Instead, it was a message from Owari, asking if they wanted to hang out along with a date and time.

Sonia bit her lip. A large part of her wanted to say no, to politely decline but… it was for the weekend. Surely seeing her friends would make the unease slowly building up in her fade just a little bit, right? Glancing at Tanaka, Sonia resolved to wait until he woke up before confirming with Owari. If he didn’t want to go then Sonia wouldn’t either.

~

Sonia didn’t remember their drive to Owari and Nidai’s place. She barely remembered greeting Owari and Nidai as well as the others. Thoughts still swam in her head thickly and loudly. It almost hurt to walk down Owari’s hallway and see the grey that jumped out almost unnaturally in that one painting of sakura that Sonia herself had gifted the couple. The ache doubled tenfold when she spotted Souda, his hair completely grey in her vision save for the roots which were his natural dark shade.

Composure. She could do this. Sonia had to fake other things in the past and her friends weren’t some boring business partners or government officials she had to meet. Sonia wanted to have a good time with them. Shoving that thought to the forefront of her mind, Sonia allowed herself to be swept up in Tanaka loud (but underneath shaky) greeting to everyone. She sat down with grace beside Tanaka, who was attempting to draw Souda’s attention. Sonia absentmindedly listened and was about to reach for one of the chocolate-covered apple slices when Tanaka’s voice fell and silence suddenly intruded, loud and blatant. Sonia turned her attention, words on her lips.

That immediately fell to pieces in her mouth.

Pink rushed back to her vision, starting from the top of Souda’s head to the end of his hair. The breath that left her throat dried up entirely and for the first time in a long time she looked directly into Souda’s eyes. They were sharp, analyzing, and confused. Sonia tried to force air into her lungs, tried to glance over at Tanaka but deep down she already knew he was seeing the same thing she was seeing.

Pink. Their soulmate indicator was going off for Souda. He was the one who had triggered it. Why though? Sonia scrambled to think of a logical reason why now, of all times their indicator was going off for him but before she could even form a semi-coherent hypothesis Nidai stumbled over one of the cushions and some of the drink he was carrying spilled onto the cushions around them and onto Souda’s arm. He yelped and immediately stood up, their eye contact breaking. For a hysterical moment of fear Sonia wondered if the pink would vanish. It didn’t and the relief was short lived as Souda immediately fled to the bathroom.

A short beat of silence filled the room along with an almost dizzying moment of hysterical clarity. Sonia grabbed Tanaka’s hand, and hoisted him up. She babbled something about him also being drenched in the drink and before anyone could question her, they were gone, racing out of the living room and following Souda.

“Did you see it?” Sonia’s voice was low the moment they were out of earshot.

“Yes, I did,” Tanaka’s voice lacked all airs and grand metaphors. “Kazuichi is the one? If so, why hasn’t he said anything until now?”

The question half stung Sonia and she nearly stumbled. Good point… why hadn’t he said anything if they were soulmates. Sonia’s heart twisted and she wondered if Souda had known for a long time but for some reason had kept silent. Suddenly all Sonia wanted to do was go through their high school years with a fine-tooth comb and over-analyse all of their interactions.

“We have to ask him to confirm,” Sonia was proud that her voice was steady. “Whatever reason why he kept silent I cannot speak for him. Though, maybe he’s also a late bloomer like us? Maybe our loss of pink just now was our indicators going off all at the same time?”

“True,” Tanaka then paused. “If so, then what are we going to do, Sonia?”

Oh. Yeah. What would they do? Sonia’s throat dried. If they really were soulmates, then what? Would things change? Would they try all being together at the same time? She tried to imagine it and the thought wasn’t entirely unpleasant. Souda had been a good friend through high school so at least he wasn’t a stranger. But what if he didn’t want it? What if he was daunted by the long history Sonia and Tanaka had? If so… could they ignore this? Try to pretend to be only friends? Sonia’s head spung for what seemed like the millionth time in the week and she immediately shoved all of her assumptions aside.

“First, we talk to Kazuichi. Then we’ll go from there.”

Tanaka nodded and they creeped up to the bathroom. Souda had left the door slightly ajar and was finishing washing his arm. Perfect. All they’d have to do was wait for him to leave the bathroom, then ask him. A little underhanded but when else would they get him alone? Besides, no time like the present. Any moment now. Anticipation burned in Sonia as Souda angled his wrist up, exposing the underside of it to them…

Sonia’s heart plummeted. No, it froze completely in her chest before shattering into a thousand, bloody pieces. Her vision blurred and for the first time she hated how she hadn’t read the signs earlier.

Souda was never seen without sweatbands or bulky bracelets. It was always part of his appearance and aesthetic. Sonia had never questioned it, always assuming it was a fashion choice.

But the dead numbers on his wrist with the red line through it said she needed to know. His soulmate was dead. Dead and gone. Souda didn’t have a soulmate. Or at least not anymore. Tears, subconsciously began to pool at the corner of her eyes. Hastily, Sonia wiped them back, scolding herself internally. How foolish of her to think that just because their late blooming indicator appeared out of no where and Souda being the spark of said indicator meant anything special. How foolish of her to think that just because an indicator popped up that she could waltz into his life and just assume he wanted to be with them.

That somehow, someway Souda slotted in with them in something that was beyond a friend.

Not when his soulmate was dead. Dead and gone. How long had Souda known this? All through high school? Before high school? What had she been thinking? What sort of foolish, childish, romantic nonsense had Sonia filled her head with and so quickly with?

How arrogant and prideful of her.

“Let’s go,” Sonia’s voice was dull.

Tanaka didn’t dispute or argue. They fled to the kitchen, Sonia running the water in order to add to the credibility of her lie. Silence, thick and heavy sat between her and Tanaka. Sonia writhed in the silenced and pretended that each second passing in it wasn’t adding to a weight that slowly formed in the pit of her heart. She desperately tried shoving the feeling aside but it remained a heavy, sticky constant. Sonia didn’t know how to fix it.

By the time they returned Souda was sitting beside Owari again, his leather bracelet hiding the mark. He was pleasantly drinking with everyone else and talking to everyone like the friends they were. Sonia didn’t remember returning to her seat or sitting down. Instead, all she could think about was the leather bracelet, the dead numbers under it, and the pink that had returned to her vision in the most bittersweet way possible.

Like with the weight in her heart, Sonia didn’t know what to do with this information beyond attempting to shove it away. And, like with the weight in her heart it didn’t disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The engineering building: I'm actually basing this off a Real Rumour about the Engineering Building at the university I went to for my first degree.
> 
> Ice pack: In Japan when you purchase something at a bakery they give a complimentary ice pack to keep whatever you buy cool but you can also request additional ice packs for longer periods of time. I cannot remember if those are at an additional cost (since I only bought something at a bakery once in the two years I lived in Japan ahaha) but I think they are charged.
> 
> Watching anime in bed: Absolutely something I do on my phone on weekends.
> 
> Japanese bathrooms: Japanese bathrooms are VERY different from Western ones. In Japan you have the toilet separate in its own place. Next, you have a room with just a sink and place for your towels/ to hang your clothing up. Finally you have a completely tiled room with a shower head and a tub. The tub can be filled by a machine via a panel on the wall. In Japan you shower first and then soak in the tub. When I lived in Japan my tub was a very deep tub but tubs in Japan can also be similar to Western style tubs. 
> 
> Byakuya: I call the Imposter or Twogami "Byakuya". Also, I write them as non-binary.
> 
> Byakuya/Ryouta/Tsumiki: I saw this as a potential ship in DR3 and I like it so I decided to add it in here. Also, their soulmate mark is "whatever you write on your skin appears on your soulmate's skin". I thought it suited Ryouta (obviously) but also thought it was cute for Tsumiki and Byakuya.
> 
> Hospital abbreviations: I asked my nurse friend (who I kid you not I phoned promptly after writing the line about abbreviations in the hospital) to triple check that I was accurate. I was informed that yes, I am indeed accurate.
> 
> Not driving: Japan has a ZERO ALCOHOL TOLERANCY LAW which means once you have even a SIP of alcohol you cannot legally drive a car, any motorized vehicle, and even ride a bike. So... none of that "if you're under a certain alcohol blood content level" in Japan. 
> 
> The pink returning: Souda/Sonia/Tanaka's soulmate indicator (for Sonia and Tanaka) is "once you look your soulmate in the eye the colour you're missing will be filled in." In Sonia and Tanaka's case the colour is pink. Souda does not have colour blindness to them because his for Sonia and Tanaka is still the (now non functional) timer.
> 
> Upstairs bathroom: From my understanding it's unusual to have a full bathroom on both the main and upper floor of a two story place in Japan, but I do know it's common to have a second toilet and sink upstairs.
> 
> Greenhouse: Basing this off of the greenhouse at the school I taught at when I was in Japan. Of course, our greenhouse was little but the students still had the job of helping out in there as a school duty. Not as frequent as I made it here for Hopes' Peak but I decided they're a larger school with more prestige so they can have a bigger greenhouse that requires more upkeep.
> 
> Student duties: Just to remind everyone in Japan students and teachers clean the school. It's seen as a part of school and school life and no one bats an eye.
> 
> Different magic styles: I thought it would be fun to add that in.


End file.
